Wolverine #21: A Breath of Fresh Air

This issue noticeably lacks Martin Coccolo as the primary artist, instead replaced with Julius Ohta. By no means is Ohta a bad artist; on the contrary, Ohta’s linework in this issue is brilliant. This Wolverine series has had the same author-artist duo for the majority of the run, so the switch is mildly jarring. Taken as it is, Ohta’s visual rendition of Wolverine feels far more aligned with the more primal Logan of the 1990s. Ohta draws Wolverine with messy mutton chops and ragged hair; Logan has these big, angry eyebrows that often hide his eyes, giving him this older and angrier look compared to Coccolo’s rendition. Coccolo’s art emphasizes Logan’s human side; Ohta’s art emphasizes Wolverine’s more animalistic nature. Outside of the titular mutant, Nightcrawler is drawn as a tall, slender figure with grand expressions and exaggerated gestures. Paired with Jesus Aburtov’s colors, Ohta draws Wolverine and Nightcrawler to look like total opposites on the page. 

Ahmed truly understands what makes the friendship between Wolverine and Nightcrawler special: Nightcrawler can get Wolverine to open up. Logan conceals his emotions behind grunts and slashes, but Kurt has always been able to get Logan to reveal his hand. There’s a single page that captures this perfectly. Wolverine is grumpy and angry at the top, and as the page goes down, he spends more time with Nightcrawler. Despite no words being exchanged, it is visually told that Wolverine begins to become happier and happier. By the end, Logan seems genuinely happy, even for a moment. For the first time in a while, Logan isn’t fighting Alpha Flight or the Adamantine; he is just talking to his best friend. Ahmed builds on their established friendship by adding context through Logan’s internal dialogue. Despite their relationship spanning decades, Ahmed is able to find fresh angles for Logan and Kurt. 

Ahmed writes a simple but fun plot for a Wolverine comic. It’s very low-stakes, focusing more on the characters rather than any storyline. It’s a welcome break from the world-ending stakes that Wolverine faced with the Adamantine; nothing is really at risk here. With the exception of the context that Wolverine’s right claws are shattered, this comic is pretty self-contained. Furthermore, Ahmed chooses pretty unique antagonists for Wolverine and Nightcrawler to deal with. These are characters that Logan hasn’t tangled with for decades, making their fight feel very fresh and exciting. It’s an explosive brawl that earns its place but doesn’t overstay its welcome.